Author Topic: Little League baseball part deaux (Read 344 times)

hblair · « **on:** April 06, 2006, 12:20:50 AM »

Well, next year is here.
After four weeks of hard practice, the ol ball team is looking good. I've got the same 9-10 year old minor league team this year. Of course my 10 yr olds have moved up to 11-12 yr old league, newbies moved in from 7-8 yr old league.

Learning from my situation last year, we've spent much more time on pitching and hitting. We've got two experienced pitchers, and a third that shows promise. We'll work on one more just in case. We only have 2 games per week, tuesdays and fridays. Six innings per pitcher per week maximum, with a two day rest if pitched over two innings, which obviously won't be a problem with the space between games. So three good pitchers should do it.

I'm spending a lot of time on stealing, which can be big fun for the kids.

We played our first game last night and won 5-2. I was happy to come away with the first win. We are cautiously optimistic at this point.

Anybody else doing ball this spring?

moose · « **Reply #1 on:** April 06, 2006, 01:19:55 AM »

hey hb, hows your rx-7 project coming?

im personally playing softball in a beer league, i miss LL days tho!

Ripsnort · « **Reply #2 on:** April 06, 2006, 08:33:37 AM »

Heya Hblair!

Sounds like fun! Go Dad!

I'm a volunteer when working with the kids in practice, nothing more. I shoot photography for the team though which I really enjoy doing!

Gordon, my 10 yr old, has moved up to Triple A ball, Select Team division.
He tried out for the team in early Feb. and was picked up as a starting pitcher. We have a 12 game schedule that begins in late april, and 6 tournaments around the state that we'll attend.

Some of the pitching coaches that Gordon has had since November of 05' include :
Jim Parque - Six year Major League veteran starting pitcher from 1998-2004 with the White Sox, Devil Rays, and Diamondbacks

Jarle Brooks - Played 2 years for the Texas Rangers Organization

Troy Martin- Currently a pitcher with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays Organization

Josh Small- Played at Central Washington. Batted .423 his senior year

Jeff Martin- Pitched 8 years for the San Fransisco Giants Organization

Rick Hamilton- Got drafted as a catcher out of high school. Has coached youth baseball for over 7 years.

If your son is really into it, its worth the money to get private lessons for him. It is amazing how greatly they improve during the offseason!

They had a simulated game last sunday (we've been in spring training with the team since late Feb.) 6 innings, 3 pitchers each got 2 innings.
Gordon struck out 5 batters (of the 8 batters he faced in two innings) during his 2 innings of work.

Here he is under the watchful eye of his coach warming up.

Enjoy the season and keep us posted!

Reschke · « **Reply #3 on:** April 06, 2006, 08:41:31 AM »

Don't forget to teach 'em the good old fashioned and seldom used BUNT! We blew our teams mind the other night at practice by teaching them how to bunt. Only 1 kid on our team knew how to do it consistently. The others are learning in a hurry. Its a great tool to use if you have a couple of fast kids on base and you need to advance a runner(s) around to score. We had said that this coming Saturday we are going to bunt our entire lineup in the first inning just to tick off the opposing coach. I need to get a video of that if we do it.

We start our regualr season games on Saturday. We have 4 kids who can pitch of up to 3 innings consistently (if our defense helps them) and 2 more kids (my son is one of them) who can give 1-2 innings in relief or close the game out. Down here in our 9 y/o league we play in; if a kids goes over 45 pitches he can't pitch for 48 hours.

Reschke · « **Reply #4 on:** April 06, 2006, 08:44:25 AM »

Rip, on a completely different subject when do you guys register for football up there? We are trying something different this year and are going ahead with registration for the entire month of May.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #5 on:** April 06, 2006, 08:56:23 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Reschke
Rip, on a completely different subject when do you guys register for football up there? We are trying something different this year and are going ahead with registration for the entire month of May.

May 1st! COming up soon! Gordon will be in a football camp for a week in July on Whidbey Island this summer. He's all giddy about it, (Football is his favorite sport) Training camp starts August 7th.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #6 on:** April 06, 2006, 09:26:10 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Reschke
Don't forget to teach 'em the good old fashioned and seldom used BUNT! We blew our teams mind the other night at practice by teaching them how to bunt. Only 1 kid on our team knew how to do it consistently. The others are learning in a hurry. Its a great tool to use if you have a couple of fast kids on base and you need to advance a runner(s) around to score. We had said that this coming Saturday we are going to bunt our entire lineup in the first inning just to tick off the opposing coach. I need to get a video of that if we do it.

We start our regualr season games on Saturday. We have 4 kids who can pitch of up to 3 innings consistently (if our defense helps them) and 2 more kids (my son is one of them) who can give 1-2 innings in relief or close the game out. Down here in our 9 y/o league we play in; if a kids goes over 45 pitches he can't pitch for 48 hours.

I just wanted to mention that Select Baseball is bound by no rules, the best players play. Simple as that. That's why they call it "Select"...you hand pick your team, no draft. The competition level is tremendous I am told (Most of these coaches hand pick their teams from the cream of the crop of the LL Majors and Cal Ripken AAA teams) From what I've seen so far, this team we're on (10U team, 10 years old and under) appears to have more talent than the LL team my son was on last year however we're a very young team...Eleven 9 year olds and two 10 year olds. There are about 3 kids on the team that are really naturals, but from what I'm told by the coaches, we're going to get beat up on quite a bit in this league. They don't care though, they want to make this a family team sport..."Its about the families and the kids, just not the kids. We're not about winning, though we try our hardest to win, we're more about family". Good enough for us, but its a sure sign that we're doomed!

My son needs this level of competition though, brings him "down a notch" if you know what I mean

He was getting pretty cocky in LL last year, now he's down a rung on the latter in comparison to talent, which brings out his best. He's very competitive and is currently now trying to challenge the star pitcher for his Opening Day start! LOL!

I love it. Fun to watch them grow, develop.

Here are some more pics from our Spring Training:
http://home.comcast.net/~ripsnort60/Black_Sox_Baseball.html

Reschke · « **Reply #7 on:** April 06, 2006, 11:06:21 AM »

If you want to keep his pitching form good don't let him touch a football during baseball season. Throwing a football is the fastest way to ruin a good solid pitching motion because the mechanics of the two throws are vastly different.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #8 on:** April 06, 2006, 11:58:26 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Reschke
If you want to keep his pitching form good don't let him touch a football during baseball season. Throwing a football is the fastest way to ruin a good solid pitching motion because the mechanics of the two throws are vastly different.

That was a tough one, considering our NFL team went to the superbowl! He'd been in pitching lessons since November, yet wanted to go outside and throw the football! When Feb. 5th passed, I HID the footballs.

His pitching mechanics are pretty solid though, so it hasn't affected his mechanics. If anything, it improved his arm strength similar to long toss strengthing a pitching arm.

I learned so much from his pitching coaches I mentioned above, that I'm actually working with the pitchers on our team during practice. I see alot of them doing little things that they shouldn't be, and helping them improve.

Reschke · « **Reply #9 on:** April 06, 2006, 12:13:25 PM »

One thing we work from at the start of practice with the pitchers is to just have them in what we call the "power position". The finish motion after separation and stride in the pitch. Hand up with thumbs down and arms extended we get them to rock back and then release the ball. It helps them keep their feet (toes) lined up and arms in line and gets them to their finish position. Plus it helps them with developing that power without messing with their elbow. If I can film my son's practice one day I will post it up here.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #10 on:** April 06, 2006, 12:57:43 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Reschke
One thing we work from at the start of practice with the pitchers is to just have them in what we call the "power position". The finish motion after separation and stride in the pitch. Hand up with thumbs down and arms extended we get them to rock back and then release the ball. It helps them keep their feet (toes) lined up and arms in line and gets them to their finish position. Plus it helps them with developing that power without messing with their elbow. If I can film my son's practice one day I will post it up here.

Yep, thats what the pitching coaches work on with my son during Big League Edge training. Thats one of many things they work on.

If your right handed pitchers are throwing down and to the left, into the dirt at home plate, then watch their plant foot when its extended before the follow through, is it open ? It shouldn't be...it should be closed, not pointing directly at home base. It WILL be pointing at home base AFTER they follow through, the body will naturally bring the feet around so both point at home plate, but when they are delivering, that front plant foot needs to be close slightly. This will prevent down, to the left, in the dirt-pitches.

Another big problem kids have is the scare crow..they don't "Touch the wall" with the ball when fully extended, preventing them from "throwing downhill" (if that makes sense, easier to demonstrate this than type it out!) What happens is that they short arm the pitch.

I've seen kids open up and fall back while making the pitch. Here are some examples of what I speak of:

In this picture, you can see his front plant foot will be closed slightly when he releases, this is good. Also, he's "touching the wall" in full extention, not as good as he should, but he's almost there:
http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL767/2726312/9638424/137057459.jpg

Here is the example of the plant foot too far open during release, that front foot should be closed more, like at a 45 deg. angle. It WILL open up in line, once the hips follow through, but the ball is gone by that time. Opening up a foot will cause the ball to go down, away, and into the dirt:
http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL767/2726312/9638424/137056259.jpg

Example of not extending the arm far enough, not touching the wall, and front arm should be closed more
http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL767/2726312/9638424/137055013.jpg

Example I mention above about "opening up and falling back". This causes the ball to go over the head of a right handed hitter, or even behind him!
http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL767/2726312/9638424/137055006.jpg

Example of "Short Arming" a pitch, this picture tells the whole (Bad) story"
http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL767/2726312/9638424/137055100.jpg

StSanta · « **Reply #11 on:** April 06, 2006, 02:36:54 PM »

Just outta curiosity; what's up with baseball pants?

Is there a reason they look like....what male ballet dancers wear? Not sure what the name is, sorry for the rather unflattering description

.

We have geeky looking jumpsuits in freefly too, so no critique. We think we look badass in 'um, but badass is very much in the eyes of the beholder.

hblair · « **Reply #12 on:** April 07, 2006, 02:33:11 PM »

Moose, the mechanic is actually supposed to have the motor done in a week or so. Waiting on the motor. Body is painted, gotta squirt the doors and hood, and put them back on. I changed the color to silver, same as new 350z.
The mechanic is replacing the rod bearings, was hoping not to do any of that, but they have some wear. Oh well. I want the motor to stand up to 8-9 psi of boost without going ptooey.

That car has taken forever. I was hoping to be done three years ago lol. But then comes baseball. No time for anything it seems. I rarely have time to work on it.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #13 on:** April 07, 2006, 04:47:09 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Reschke
If I can film my son's practice one day I will post it up here.

Do that please! It will really help him.

I've recorded hundreds of minutes of Gordon as he's progressed through pitching mechanic lessons since Nov 05 (320 res, with a Canon G6, sinces its easy and convenient) and we'd review them weekly. Its helped him tremendously! He's able to identify what he's doing wrong, and corrects it.

Here is an example:
http://home.comcast.net/~ripsnort60/MVI_4566.AVI

This was taken around Christmas. His power through the hips is alot more now. He was clocked at the Mariner Fan Fest in the bullpin at 45 mph, but the coach said he's pitching about 50-55 mph now. I'm sure he is, as I had to buy a real catchers mitt (ouch)

Reschke · « **Reply #14 on:** April 07, 2006, 06:52:56 PM »

Yep those are the same steps we all teach. My son has a problem of opening his hips to wide on the separation and its a constant battle to keep him "tuned in" to his mechanics. He is so used to throwing a football it has hurt him because he isn't used to not opening his hips up to throw downfield.

We actually step up a plate in the basement that he uses for placing his pitches.